Discus Setup Critique

Hi all

I have been reading up on discus and have kept discus before but that was about 5 years ago with little success but have read up and found out most of my mistakes from my first try.

I have recently acquired a larger cube which its dimensions are 800 x 800 x 640 mm so its about a 450 litre system w/sump. I wish to make this into a discus tank.

Since my first try at discus I went into the marine side of things and maintained a successful full sps reef for about 7 months until I had to move houses and tear the tank down, so I am by no means a newbie in the aquarium hobby.

The setup will be a planted setup with a low stocking of only 6 discus(13cm +) and 10 cory's of some species(need advice here on which one as there is debate about the temperature of which a certain species, which I have forgotten the name, can handle.)

Thinking of making an algae scrubber type thing as I will only be able to weekly water changes at the best( what would be the best way, besides water changes, to maintain the water quality, I know in the marine tanks you could use biocubes or biopellets and the biocubes say that they can be used in freshwater to remove nitrates and phosphates as bacteria consume them, is this a possible option??)

What other filtration should I use? Just sponges/ filter pads/ carbon??

For lighting I was planning on using a single 250/400 w halide( Is this okay for discus+the plants as I know they prefer lower light )

Also I was thinking of only planting one section of the tank and leave the other, where the discus will feed, as normal sand so that I can vacuum the sand and remove all of the wastes.

For water I was planning on using 100% RO but re-mineralise it with seachem equilibrium. I know that this is unnecessary for just keeping them but I don't want to fiddle with tap water mixing and ageing the water etc.

I have probably forgotten something but just ask some questions and I will answer and then we can work to try and get this system as best as it could be

Thanks

Regards Tristan

 

Hi @SApicoreef

Glad to hear you are venturing into keeping Discus again.

The tank you have sounds very nice and it will work great for the discus, not sure about the plants - might be a bit deep but I know very little on plants so others could maybe help out on that?

Filtration - sump is great for discus, if you use good and adequate filter media (siporax or matrix) and the filter is well seeded and mature before you add the discus.
Again - sump for pksnts not great....removes Co2 and if you are not adding co2 levels will be minimum, and if you do add youd be wasting it. Agsin though - ask @Seanj or someone else with good knowledge.

On the other points I agree mostly-plant only one side, cory cats as extras are good, Sterbai works well. No need for RO water tbh - its just an unnescessary expense. Aged Tap water will be as good if not better than risky water mixes. The lights may be too bright, no - correction they probably will be but that you can fix with a diffuser in certain areas etc etc.

Good idea to go for larger fish, means you can get away with less feedings.

Hope Ive helped

Marco

 

you could use seachem excel for the plants as c02 with the sump will not work. What plants were you thinking about using? Many plants are not going to enjoy those warm temps.

 

@Reedfish thats what I was thinks off, just planting the back with some easy to grow plants that aren't very demanding and leaving the front open for the discus with possibly a piece of wood in there.

@Marco I already have all my RO units and new membranes from my marines so there is literally no additional cost as I use the waste water for plants in the garden. the only thing I would need to buy is the equilibrium which I don't mind at all. My sump is also sealed so the CO2 shouldn't be a problem but I will see what happens as I already have a CO2 setup but I'm just lacking the solenoid which I think is around R400 for the inline one. As for the filtration how many litres of the spiromax or matrix should I use and could I also do a refugium with fast growing plants etc. for nutrient help??

Any other questions or comments are appreciated.

Regards Tristan

 

If your sump is sealed, then this might not work, but I planted some basil in small pots floating in the sump. Keeps the nitrates at 0 constantly. There are other plants you can use as well for this application. previously I used some peace lilies and zantedeschia with the same result.

 

That looks very interesting!! will defiantly consider that!!!

 

Sorry to Hi jack the thread

Just want to know is it absolutly necessary for a sump when you want to keep Discus?

Or can use like 2x 1200lph canisters filters in a 400l tank?

 

Your tank looks great @Reedfish ! I think I would want a little more plant a little less wood though...
@Reedfish what size is your tank? How many discus+tankmates do you have in their and roughly what is the size of discus? What do you use for filtration and any special substrate for the plants? Also any special or not usually required equipment that you have which make anything easier would be nice to know. What water do you use and do your treat it with any conditioner?

Sorry for all the questions but want to be 100% clear.

 

Just interested in what substrate you have in mind?

 

Was planning on using tropica soils under sand for the planted section and then sand for the rest of the tank

 

I wasn't really planning on making it hectically planted but want some plants that would make the back less empty BUT not full it up. I would like to leave about 60cm of the tank as open as possible with a branch or something protruding from the 20 cm of planted area. The auto feeder will be placed here and I will also fee the beef heart in the font area to make cleaning as easy as possibly. That reminds me of another question... what pellet food do you feed your discus and how many times a day should I feed it + beef heart if my discus are semi-adults (13cm+) and i can only do water changes weekly? I was thinking pellets once a day and beef heart once a day. Is that good?

Thanks for your help

 

What would you guys think about putting a Ecotech Radion over this tank and then buy the halides for the sps tank. Its fully dimmable so I can chose how bright I want the lights to be and I can slowly ramp the lights up and down making it more natural lighting with the added bonus of choosing the exact colour spectrum I want.

Also any comments on my last post??

Thanks

 

Okay cool. What do you think about the lights though.( My last post)

thanks

 

Okay cool. Do you know anyone that could help?
sorry for te late reply.